Measuring valve



March 12, 1935. A, J, ARMER 1,994,173

MEASURING VALVE Filed June 1'5, 1925 Patented Mari12, 1935 i 1,994,173 M EAsUaING VALVE w lbert J. Farmer, Detroit, iMich., assigner,` bymesne assignmentato The'Farval Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation o i Ohio i Appneaucnrune 1,5, 1925, serial'No. 37,093

similar lubricant Vis Yadr'nitted to a bearing or device requirmg a periodic supply of lubricant.

`ouate supply of lubricant at proper intervalsLand where Aautomatic lubrication is not provided, as for instance in many'v parts of machines and "especially those parts which are usually equipped withgrease inps for the supply of heavier oils and greases, it frequently occurs thatv bad judgtirent on the part of an operator results either the supply of k'an insufficient amount of lubricant at onetime or the wasting of the lubricant by' ffeetirlg over-'supplythereo Similar condi- (fio'ns `'are also met with in forced feed Systems of lubrication, wherein, due to the fact that lubrication of a number of parts is'effected from a Vcommon source andthe amount of lubricant required 4for different parts may vary considerably,

sin

yre'quiring greater amounts.: l

This invention therefore has forits object to provide for thedenite vmeasuring'.V of the amount of lubricant supplied to any particular bearing or part, so that a. full charge of lubricant: may be sosupplied, and no more; upon each operation of themain lubricant supplyingor distributing means. V f

' A further object of the invention is to provide a valvular device attachable-tothe lubricant inlet or oil'duct of a bearing or part through which lubricant maybe passed to said bearingor part,

and by means of whichthe amount of lubricant so passed at'any one supplying operation will 'be both measured and limited.

I The invention further contemplates the provisionv of a' device for attachment to an oil or. grease duct, said Vdevice including la lubricant- Vmeasuring chamber andineans controlling the lling of said chamber with lubricant and the Y ejection of lubricant from said chamber into said duct. i Y

.Still further objects subsidiary to or resultingV -from the aforesaid objects, or from the construc- .tion or operation or' the invention as it may beY carried into elTect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carryingthe said invention into eflect, I may provide a valvular device, the outlet-end of which is applicable to an' oil or grease ductof a machine or apparatus and the inlet end of which may be connected to a suitable means of lubricant supply,

said device comprising a hollow casingzwithin" Plhis invention relates to oil cups or valves f through the medium of which oil, grease' or other i lEciency in lubricating is dependentupon adef `ieitll'ef"15ndAniucl'l lubricant is supplied to'those parts ,requiring little, or Vnot suihcient to those ber and 'housing a reciprccable piston adapted to `lreciprocate against the action of a-spring by lubricant introduced under pressure through Vthe inlet oi the device, said piston being ported so that when it 'is moved forward by the pressure of the lubricant supply, communication is established between the cylinder and the opposite sides of the piston and said chamber, whereby lubricant liows through said'chamber to Vthe cylinder in advance of the piston. The piston is'also provided with a Valve member which prevents-flow of lubricant through the outlet of the device while communication is established between opposite sides of the-piston through said chamber, said Valve member being unseated duringaportion of the succeeding rearward movement of the piston after which the lubricant which has been transferred' in Aadvance-of the piston is then forced through the outlet of the device in measured quantity; Y

All of which'is more particularly describedand ascertained hereinafter, by way of example, having Yreference i to the accompanying drawing, whereinr` Fig.. 1 is alongitudinal section of a measuring yvalve embodying said invention, and shown as Ythe FICE

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts in theseveral figures of the drawing.

A hollow casing 1 is shown as having a threaded extension 2 at its forward end, whereby it may be inserted in the tapped hole 3 or" a device 4 in communication Awith a lubricant duct 5 in the "cylinder and tends to retain the piston 9 in the position indicated in Fig. 1, the spring thus supporting `theV piston operatively in opposition to the pressure ofthe lubricantin the supply line. v

The piston A.fl lobviously `must reciprocate smoothly and without frictional drag as there must be a minimum of resistance against the ,Sprinapressure. Smooth reciprocating action is` movement of the valve member 14y andincidentally of the piston 9. Since the member 14 slidably fits the bore of -portion 13- of .the.'outlet, and is movable into and loutof such bore; Vinem'- ber 14 may be considered as a valvelactive in the control of the outlet, with shoulder 1 5 acting as the seat of the valve. l

'I'he outer end of the outlet passage 12 ispreferably closed by a check valve, such as a spring- Vpressed ball 16, housed in va Arecess 17 forming an -entranceto the'oil Vduet 5. f The piston 9 is provided with a passage -18 exten'dinginwarmyof Y the head thereon and communicating with an annular channel 19 in the-*peripheral -face ofthe piston, and the cylinder Sis provided with ports 20 and 21, the purpose Vof which will now be explained.

When the described device is applied to the lubricant duct of almachinefor otherA device, it isgintended as ag'eneral rule that it shall be considered as a fixture remaining in position at lall times to facilitate the ready introduction of a predetermined amount or increment Yof lubricant to such vduct according to requirements.

Assuming` the device tobe in the position shown Fig. land the spring chamber ahead of fpiston 9, and chamber 110'full of'lubricant, lu'bricantunder pressure acting on head 9 will cause 'the same to move toward theontlet 12, discharging the lubricant forward of piston 9 out past vcheckn valvell' until extensin 114'enters bore 13. can readily -be"xhalistedfromj the device by reason of the E'fact ythat the sliding /t of `the piston extension is not air-tight so that when the ldeyicel Vforfoperation' thespring A chamber v4:and chamber 1'0,"'as we llasthebores 13 and 12,

willbe filled w'itliflubricant.A yVS/flienthe extension 14i`of` the piston enters theborelv 1'3`further movementfispossible because of the` clearance between;suchfextensio'n'f'and bore 13. This clearanceA is sui'licient to iallow seepage .of lubricant Y when j necess'ary. After `the 'extension 14 enters borg-)'13 continued'press'ure'"onpiston 9 will cause ja smallamount of 'lubricant to'seep past extension14 andthrough Athe outlet until extension 14 j seats at thebottornjof `boire 13 suchseating obvil ously preventing further seepage. The operation then'ionthe forward stroke is such that a certain jpredetermined amount vof lubricant is discharged during Vthe movement of the piston from the position shown in Fig; 1 to the position lshown in Fig.y 2. Itshould be stated thatas the extension 14 enters thebore 13 lubricant will seep forwarclly'around and past the extension so that f ,it is not necessary to compress the lubricant in the )spring chamber. VWhenfthe Vpiston 9 inv the position shown in Figv 2 lubricant enters passage 18 in such piston and it then flows outwardly to the peripheral groove 19, after which it passes through ports 20 into the chamber V10. -Lubricant continues to Vflow,-now=passing` through rports 21` intothe spring chamber until the-pres- `surepn'bo'tlrsidesof pistoni9 is equalized. vThe chamber.

chamber when fsaid .piston is' not seated-against .said-outlet i pressure in the line isY then relieved .and the `spring'll forces the piston 9 back to its position shown in Fig. 1. As the piston moves rearwardly lubricant will flow through passage 18,

peripheral groove 19, through ports 20, chamber yli 'hand `portion of piston 9 in its leftward move- 1 ment has'completely passed ports 20, lubricant will ow from ythe Vchamber at the left of piston 9 through 'passage 18, groove 19 and thence past the right portion of; piston 9 directly to the spring Thistransfer of lubricant continues until piston 9 reaches itsextreme left position, as shown in Fig. 1. At the same time the return movement "of the piston '9 creates 'a `vacuum in` the spring chamber, which is Islowly dissipated'as the "lubricant iis transferred-in the 'manner-last described. v'F'prthermore on the return stroke lubricantse'eps past the extension 14 to -theioutlet inasmuch as the spring-chamberis offless volume 'than the chamber immediately lto'the left of the .piston 9 'because the extensionV 14 occupies part of the space inthe 'spring chamber.

It will be apparent thatthe' measured amount j30 of lubricant discharged witheachforwa'rd movement to the rightV of .piston 9zwillbe that .amount of lubricant which is transferred Yfrom `tltefleft f e hand side. of piston 9 to the spring ichamberon"` thereturnfmovementfto therleftby'pistonQ. l It will also beseen that when theiinlet im# sages 18, 19, and ports Y20 and 21 are openito the y spring chamber; the 'outlet 12 Vis substantially closed by valve 14. Further, fwhen `outlet IZSis fully open the inlet passagesareV .substantiallv10v closed. fIhis is essential to prevent'free flowxof lubricant through thedevice at anypositionzand insures the positivefdelivery ilof the measured `charge from each valve vto itsplubricant fduct`A fpossible thecreation ofta vacuum in'th'espring chamber as piston 9 movesf tothe left.

'Other modes of applyingthe :principle-.ofcour l Y invention may be.l employed: instead offthetone explained, change .being made asf-regardsrthe3125 :mechanism hereinidisclosed,"- provide thezmeans piston that reciprocates to-open and closefsaid outlet, said piston seating against said outlet at the end `of its forwardfstroke, saidmeans further includingmeans permitting free'iiow be-i tween saidinlet and said chamber when said piston is seated against said outlet'andpreventing dreef-flowy between -said inlet and said 2. As a new article of manufacture, a lubricating device comprising a casing, having a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet, with means between said inlet and outlet for ejecting a predetermined amount of lubricant through said outlet, said means including a piston chamber and a piston that reciprocates to open and close f said outlet, said piston seating against said outlet at the end of its forward stroke, said means further including means permitting free flow between said inlet and said chamber when said piston is seated against said outlet and preventing free ow between said inlet and said chamber when said piston is not seated against said outlet, the bore of said outlet being enlarged to slidably receive a portion of said piston, and a shoulder against which the end of said piston seats.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a lubricating device comprising a casing, having a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet, with means between saidinlet and outlet'for ejecting a predetermined amount ofY lubricant through said outlet, said means including a piston chamber, a by-pass chamber surrounding said piston cham-V ber and a piston having an extension thereon that reciprocates to open and close'said outlet, said piston having a circumferential groove and an interior passage leading from the inlet side of said casing to said groove, said groove registering with ports in said by-pass chamber when said extension hasclosed said outlet.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a lubricating device comprising a casing, having a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet, with means between said.V inlet and outlet for ejecting apredetermined amount of lubricant through said outlet, said means including a piston chamber,

a by-pass chamber surrounding said piston chamber and a piston having 'an extension thereon that reciprocates to open and close said outlet,

said piston having a circumferential groove and an interior passage leading from the inlet side of said casing to said groove, said groove registering with ports in said by-pass chamber when said extension has closed said outlet, said bypass chamber having other ports communicating with said piston chamber, all of said means permitting transfer of a measured quantity of lubricant from the inlet side of said piston to the outlet side of said piston.

5. As a new article vof manufacture, a lubricating device comprising a casing, having a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet, a delivery duct connected to said outlet, with means between said inlet and outlet for ejecting a predetermined -amount of lubricant through said outlet, said means further including means permitting free owbetween said inlet and the interior of said casing when said outlet is closed, and preventing free flow between said inlet and the interior of .said casing when said outlet is openand check valve means in said deliver7 duct preventing lubricant iiow in a direction from said duct to said outlet. Y

6. As a new article of manufacture, a lubricating device comprising a casing, having a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet, with means between said inlet and outlet for ejecting a predetermined amount of lubricant through said outlet, said means including a piston chamber and a piston that reciprocates to open and close said outlet, said piston seating against said outlet at the end of its forward stroke, said means further including means permitting free ow between said inlet and said chamber when said piston is seated against said outlet and preventing free Viiow between said inlet and said chamber when said piston is not seated against said outlet, and check valve means in said outlet preventing lubricant flow back into said chamber.

f ALBERT J. FARMER. 

